Chile Forum

This is a new sticky thread for Travel advisories, delays, changes at customs or immigration that you notice, strikes, or anything else that might make getting from point A to B in Chile more difficult. No politics. JUST THE FACTS.

I would request that everyone help keep this clean of other subjects. This should be a quick reference, and if it needs more discussion please open a related thread and link to that thread for something like "for more information" notice.

Please avoid alarmist sorts of posts, unless it is really something to be concerned about (e.g. volcano erupts). Try to avoid the silly sorts of advisories the embassies put out every time two kids decide to hold a protest in Chile. Members that live and travel in Chile, please help put the travel problem in to perspective for others.

PLEASE CHECK DATES ON THE POSTS OF THIS THREAD TO DETERMINE IF THEY STILL APPLY.

If this goes well, I might open a special section dedicated to just this subject.

Thanks Vicky. Great idea.

I'd like to find a place to monitor the proposed reciprocity fee being considered for travel back and forth between Chile. If anyone knows where I might be able to find updates to post here, I'd be happy to keep it up-to-date. Currently, travel between the two countries costs nothing. I'm not at my computer so I cannot provide a link to the article, which suggested a possible policy change in January 09.

Vicki

This is a done deal and BEGINS JANUARY 1. I'm the one that first alerted the board to it. Yet be determined: (1) only charged at EZE like in Chile or all ports of entry; (2) length of validity.

Vicki will monitor the southern land crossing and the rest of us will monitor (Paso Cristo Redentor) Mendoza and EZE entries.

I follow the TT, TA, VT and FT forums daily and will post info when confirmed.

Argentine friends (none of whom is a politician, though one is a moderately well-placed bureaucrat) tell me that the visa is to be good for the life of the passport. I haven't heard whether the fee will be levied only at airports or at all guarded border crossings.

Re: the Argentina reciprocity fee, I am wondering if it affects permanent residents traveling on their Chilean ID card. Last time I went to Argentina, I was told I didn't need my passport, just my Chilean ID. Does anyone know?

Re: the Argentina reciprocity fee, I am wondering if it affects permanent residents traveling on their Chilean ID card. Last time I went to Argentina, I was told I didn't need my passport, just my Chilean ID. Does anyone know?


i went to Argentina in 2005 and i had to show them my chilean pass port coz u r entering into a new country i guess u can take both just in case

Rossy wrote:i went to Argentina in 2005 and i had to show them my chilean pass port coz u r entering into a new country i guess u can take both just in case

This was changed I recall in 2006 with a region-wide agreement on the freedom of movement for citizens and permanent residents of most Ibero-American countries.

I suspect it will not last long. Argentina did the extra tax on gas sold to people with Chilean license plates a few years ago. Businesses and cities on the boarder in places like Mendoza started offering to refund the tax paid to Chileans because their economies depend on the Chilean shoppers.

We are back on strike again. No word on when it will be over.

While I've read that Chilean Govt. workers vow to fight to the end, "Customs offices are being manned by police and other non-striking government personnel so as not to delay passengers and cargo at several border crossings, airports and ports." As for buses going to the border, either bus companies are in solidarity with the workers, or don't want to have ten buses sitting at the borders for hours, or days.

(From a Reuters newsfeed)

Thanks for the information.
Please keep it updated with any new developmentss
Marcelo

We have just been notified that Airport customs is shutdown to barely functioning. We are certain about immigration. We are trying to find out the status of other land boarders.

Land border from Osorno to Bariloche was open, no waiting, smooth sailing. Same for the crossing at Futaleufu. There was a sign in the Aduanas office that read, "Aduanas en Para!" but everything was running the way it usually does.

We where wondering if you would make it back in from Argentina. Just have one of the local horse traders put Greg on a horse and smuggle him over the mountains in the middle of the night.

The strike was officially over Friday. The border at Futa is open and functioning fully.

(Yes, Charles, we limped our way back in fits and starts!)